title: How consistent are beliefs about the causes and solutions to illness? An experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research illustrates that people hold beliefs about the causes and solutions to illness. This study aimed to assess the consistency in these beliefs in terms of their variation according to type of problem and whether they are consistent with each other. Further, the study aimed to assess whether they are open to change and whether changing beliefs about cause resulted in a subsequent shift in beliefs about solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental factorial 3 (problem) x 2 (manipulated cause) design using vignettes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred seventy-nine participants rated their beliefs about the cause and solution of one of three problems (depression, obesity and sleep problems) following a vignette which described the causes as either psychological or biomedical.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Beliefs about causes and solutions varied according to type of problem indicating that beliefs are illness specific. The results also showed that people hold beliefs about causes and solutions which are consistent with each other as an endorsement of a psychological cause was consistently reflected in a belief that a psychological solution was most appropriate and effective. A similar pattern was seen for beliefs about biomedical causes and solutions. Finally, the results showed that beliefs were open to manipulation and that a shift in beliefs about causes resulted in a parallel shift in beliefs about solutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People hold beliefs about causes and solution which vary according to type of problem. However, they are always consistent with each other and a shift in one set of beliefs results in a significant shift in the other set.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Guildford, UK. J.Ogden@surrey.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jubb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult